A Vietnamese man has been remanded in custody after admitting cultivating cannabis at a private rented property.

Thieu Nguyen, who is in the country illegally, pleaded guilty to cultivating the plants at the Cheney Manor home when he appeared at Swindon crown court.

The 28-year-old now faces the prospect of being deported after serving a jail term for the offence.

He had originally claimed that he thought the plants were medicinal herbs and that he was doing nothing wrong by growing them.

But speaking through an interpreter Nguyen pleaded guilty to cultivating a plant of the genus cannabis between Sunday June 24 and Monday August 13 this year.

Paul Orton, defending, told the court he thought there was a problem communication wise' as he had advised his client lack of knowledge was a defence.

He said "The defendant does not accept he knew they were cannabis plants or anything illegal," adding he believed it was an equivocal plea.

Judge Douglas Field asked the defendant if he understood what was being said and whether he intended to plead guilty to the offence.

Nguyen repeated he pleaded guilty and after Mr Orton confirmed he had told the defendant that lack of knowledge was a defence he accepted the plea.

The judge then adjourned the case to Friday November 2 so pre-sentence reports can be compiled by the probation service and remanded Nguyen in custody.

Police raided the detached house in Vicarage Road on Monday August 13 and found 180 cannabis plants in the three upstairs rooms.

It is thought the plants, being grown with sophisticated watering and lighting systems, could have produced a yield with a street value of £30,000 The discovery came two weeks before another rented property on Greenlands Road, Upper Stratton, was found converted into a cannabis factory.

Nam Van Tran, 32, had only been in the country for ten days when police raided the property which contained 234 plants worth about £75,000. He was jailed for nine months after admitting being concerned in the supply of drugs.

Last year a number of houses which had been converted for the production of the drug were found across the town leading to a number of Vietnamese nationals being jailed.